Sanding device



March 9, 1943. T. E. MEAD SANDING DEVICE Filed April 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l n ,L M 05V MH ad a @u March 9, 1943.

T. E. MEAD 2,313,254

SANDING DEVICE 2 Shees-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1941 Patented Mar. 9, 1943 umrr-:u/l STATES PATENT lori-"lcs .......'LQIW.9

- 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a sanding device. It will be understood, however, that the invention described is applicable to other uses.

An object of the invention is to provide a sanding device of extremely simple structure which is utilized for new functions and which may be readily converted from one type of device into a different type of struct-ure, accomplishing different functions. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated; in a preferred embodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of apparatus embodyingl my invention; Fig. 2, a top plan view; Fig. 3, a front view in elevation; Fig. 4, a broken detail view showing the driving belt in separated position; and Fig. 5, a broken enlarged detail view of the work-holder or table.

In the illustration given, III designates a support which may be of any suitable type or structure. Upon the support I is a base member II secured to the support I0 by screws I2. It will be understood that the base II may be secured directly to a floor or to any other suitablesurface. The base II has integrally formed therewith -a bracket member I3 which supports a drive pulley I4 mounted upon shaft I5. The shaft l5 extends through the bracket and carries a small pulley. I6 which is driven by belt I1'leading from any suitable driven part (not shown). The bracket I3 also carries a back-stop or belt support member I8 which is secured by screws I9 to the bracket.` The bracket member also supports a shaft carrying idler pulley 2|.

Also carried by the base II is a vertically ex- A tending standard 22 having at its top a shelf portion 23. Pivotally secured to the top of standard 22 is a pulley supporting arm 24. Arm 24 is normally urged in an upward direction by an expansion spring 25 held at its ends between lug 26 carried by the shelf portion 23 of standard 22, and held at its upper portion by the lug 21 carried by the arm 24. y

The arm 24 is provided at its upper end with a bearing member 28 receiving the shaft 29. The shaft is tightly received within the bearing 28 and locked therein by a screw; The opposite end of the shaft is secured to a split bearing 30 earriedvby a roller arm 3|. Between the members 28 and 30 is supported a belt roller 32. The split bearing 30 is provided with a pair-of ears which are drawn toward each other by a screw the means for supporting 33. By this means, the arm 3l is frictionally secured upon fixed vshaft 29. the arm 3l is provided with carrying the idler roller 35.

A belt 36 having `a sand or abrasive surface y on its exterior .is normally supported upon the two rollers I4 and 32.

The work-h lder may be supported in any dev sired manner. In the illustration given, the bracket member I3 is provided at itstop portion with an arcuate seat 31 receiving a hollow curved bearing member 38 which is an integral part of the work-holder 39. The part cylindrical member 38, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3is provided with a slot 4D through which extends a bolt 4I. The bolt also extends through an opening 42 in the arcuate seat member 31. 'A sleeve 43 is received over the bolt 4I on the outer end portion thereof, and a wing nut 44 is employed to exert pressure against the sleeve 'and thus draw the longitudinally-extending angle iron head 45, engaged by the head of the bolt, rmly against ,the member 38. In this very simple manner, the work-holder is supported .in the desired positions upon the bracket seat 31. In Figure 4, I have illustrated some of the positions through which the work-holder may be readily moved.

The work-holder 39 is provided with a slot'46 wide enough to receive the belt 36 and permitting the parallel belt portions'to be swung toward each other to the central portion of the work-holder.

Operation In the operation of the device, the belt 36 is ordinarily employed in the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position, the drive comes through pulley I6 and thence through drive roller I4, the work-support 39 being swung to the desired position upon the loosening of wing nut 44 and, when in the desired position, fixed thereon by tightening the nut 44. y A

It is often desired to sand the inneredges of an opening within a piece of work. In order to transform the present device so as to .permit sanding of the edge portions, of the opening, it is only necessary to depress lever arm 24 so as to free the belt 36 and then extend the end of the belt through the opening in the work and thread it about the rollers 2li, 35 and 32, as illustrated in Fig. l. This operation takes a brief instant. It will be noted that the slot 46 within the work-holder 39 permits the inner portion of the belt to be swung toward the outer portion of the belt, as shown in Fig. 1. It is often desirable to take off the belt originally used and The lower end of a-horizontal shaft 34- substitute for it one which is longer and which more readily fits the new conguration illustrated in Fig. 1. The belt can be slipped ofi' in a brief instant by depressing arm 24 and drawing the belt otf of the pulleys 32 and I4. After the new belt has been run through the opening in the work, it can be drawn about the 'pulleys I4, 20 and 32, and the arm 3| canibe swung to the position shown in Fig. 1, the friction upon the shaft 29 being sunlcient to maintain the arm 3l in the position to which it is pressed. In the position shown in Fig. 1, in which one parallel portion of the belt is urged into an adjacent position to the other, the sanding operation can be carried on very eiectively within acircular or other shaped opening in a piece of work and k an eiective sanding operation about the edges of the opening accomplished. To change the machine back to its initial position, it is only necessary to depressarm 24, remove the belt from the pulleys, and place on another belt, as shown in Fig. 4, or without removing the belt from rollers 32 and I4, the belt may be slipped laterally oi rollers and 34, the spring 25 taking up the slack. Here, the pulleys 2| and 35 are supported out of engagement with the sanding belt 36.

The pivot arm 24 is not only useful in permitting relative movement of the pulleys I4 and 32to facilitate the removal of the sanding belt, but it also serves as a constantsupport for maintaining the belt in taut position. The yielding support also serves as a means for protecting the mechanism against unusual strains.

The work-holder 39 may be shifted readily into any of the desired positions, no matter whether the device be used as shown in Fig. 1 or as shown in Fig. 4, the slot 46 in the holder permitting movement of the belt members toward and away from each other.

While the seat for the member 38 may be of any suitable curvature, I prefer a slightly dished seat, deeper in the center than at the edges, so that the rounded portion of the member 38 will engage the seat at the four corners of the seat, thus providing a four-corner support for the part cylindrical member 38. 'I'his results in a very tight joint, while at the same time permitting ready adjustment.

While the invention has been described in connection with a sanding belt, it will be understood that the belt may be equipped with cutting means or Work means of other types for effecting changes upon the work carried by the holder.

While in the foregoing description I have set forth certain specific structure and certain details as a part of the mechanism, it will be understood that wide variation in such details may be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class set forth, a base, a bracket carried thereby, a standard on said base, a pivotally-mounted arm carried by said standard, aligned pulleys carried by said bracket and said arm, resilient means urging said arm in an upward direction, a Work-eifecting belt on said pulleys, and means carried by said arm for engaging a portion of said belt between said pulleys and for pressing one parallel portion of said belt toward the other to bring the portions into closely adjacent back-to-back relation with respect to :ach other.

2. In apparatus of the class set forth, a base, a bracket carried thereby, a standard on said base, aligned pulleys carried by said bracket and standard, an endless work-effecting belt on said pulleys, said belt havi'ng parallel portions in adjacent relation, a work-holder supported adjacent said belt and provided with a slot receiving the parallel portions of said belt, said slot being of a depth much greater than the thickness of said parallel portions whereby said portions may be moved toward and away from each other Within said slot, and roller-equipped means for pressing one parallel portion of said belt toward the other.

3. In sanding apparatus of the class set forth, a base, a bracket carried thereby, a standard on said base, said standard having a table portion at its top, standard, a compression spring supported by the table portion of said standard and normally urging said arm upwardly. a pulley carried by said arm. a sanding belt about said pulleys, and roller-equipped means pivotally carried by said arm for normally maintaining the parallel portions oi said beltin adjacent relation to each other.

4. In work-eifecting apparatus, a base, a bracket carried thereby, said bracket being provided with a dished top surface, a part cylindrical vmember received within said seat and engaging only the corner portions thereof, said member being part of a Work-holder, said workholder closing the upper portion of said part cylindrical member, said part cylindrical member having a slot therein, a bolt extending through said slot, a crosshead engaged by said bolt and bearing against said cylindrical member, said bolt extending through an opening in saidbracket member and having a threaded outabout said threaded portion,

5. In sanding apparatus of the class set forth,

a base, a bracket carried thereby, a standard on 6. In apparatus of the class set forth, a base, a bracket carried thereby, a standard on said base, aligned pulleys carried by said bracket and said standard, a work-effecting belt on said pulleys, a work-holder supported adjacent said belt and provided with a. slot means for adjusting the position of said workholder, and means for engaging the beltV on opposite sides of the work-holder and between the pulleys to bring parallel portions of said belt into closely adjacent back-to-back relation with each other.

7. In apparatus of the class set forth, a base, a bracket carried thereby, a standard on said base, a pulley arm movably supported on said standard, pulleys carried by said arm and said bracket, an endless work-effecting belt on said pulleys, said belt having parallel portions in adjacent relation, a work-holder carried by said bracket and provided with a slot receiving said belt, said slot being of a depth much greater than an arm pivotally supported upon said the combined thickness of said parallel portions of the belt whereby said portions may be moved toward and away from each other within said slot, and means for engaging the belt on opposite sides of the work-holder and between the pulleys to bring the parallel portions of the belt into closely adjacent back-torback relation with each other.

f 8. In sanding apparatus of the class set forth, a base, a bracket carried thereby, .a standard on said base, an arm pivotally mounted upon said standard, spring means normally urging said arm upwardly, pulleys carried by said arm and said bracket, a continuous sanding belt on said pulleys, said belt having parallel portions in adjacent relation, a. work-holder supported by said bracket and provided with a. slot receiving said belt, said slot being of a depth much vgreater than the combined thickness of said parallel portions of thesanding belt whereby said portions may be moved toward and away from veach other within the slot, roller-equipped means for engaging the belt between the work-holder and one pulley to press one parallel portion of said belt toward the other. and roller-equipped means for engaging the belt between the work-holder and the other pulley to maintain the parallel portions of thebelt in closely adjacent back-to-back relation with respect to each other.

THEODORE E. MEAD. 

